Knowledge transfers in multinational corporations on the level of top management

Abstract

The main aim of this paper is to examine the transfer of knowledge between departing manager and his successor on the top management position. Nowadays is our society living in knowledge age where the knowledge create one of the most valuable capital and powerful competitive advantage of companies. The depreciation of knowledge or the inappropriate system of transfer leads to noticeable decrease of achievement of multinational corporations. Top manager represents the bearer of knowledge of any company and plays the key role in communications and transfers of knowledge flows. Therefore the replacing on this level of management reacts very sensitive about any change. Transfer of knowledge at this level of management is extremely important because improper transfers or loss leads from increase of entropy in company and reduction of objectives to the dysfunction. Final recommendations of this paper will allow managers to adapt to a new position with minimal time loss and assists in strategic succession planning conductive sustainability of competitive. This paper reflects the need of MNC's to investigate the unsatisfactory situation of damage essential knowledge in one of the most crucial moment of leading. The research was aimed at the following questions: What is the most critical moment of the transfer of knowledge? Does the usage the services interim manager constitute an appropriate means to simplify the transfer of knowledge? This research was conducted in carefully selected multination companies with branch offices in two foreign countries at minimum. The data collection derives from the systematic literature review, questionnaires and the guided interviews with representatives of the above organizations, during the period since September 2011 to December 2011. The gained data have been discussed and verified. The results were interpreted in an exploratory manner. Based on the survey a set of principles with short recommendations was proposed. These principles assist to smoother and more efficient exchange of managers in top management positions and maintain the functionality of the company.